Introduction:

The absinthe ritual is one of charm and elegance, and when used and shared with friends,
the antiques from France’s la Belle Époque (the beautiful era) make the experience even
more wonderful. This revised edition features nearly twice the antiques, as well as several
new chapters. One such chapter includes Pontarlier’s festival Les Absinthiades, an annual
celebration of all that is absinthe. This chapter features the festival’s antiques market, as well
as the wonderful absinthe exhibit at Le Musée de Pontarlier. Pontarlier is the birthplace of
French absinthe.

This book celebrates many of the wonderful absinthe antiques I’ve collected over time, from
France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, and the USA. These pieces include spoons, glasses,
saucers, pitchers, carafes, art, postcards, and other ephemera dating from the mid 1800s
to the early 1900s. Though this collection is modest when compared to some, these pieces
reflect the era vividly, telling absinthe’s story. They are objects of beauty and history that
deserve to be shared, enjoyed, and written about.

Photographing these pieces is a passion for me; the mood in these photographs reflects how I
feel about them, and the atmosphere in which I enjoy their use. As of yet, I’ve not seen a book
featuring large, detailed photographs of absinthe antiques, and out of respect for the absinthe
community, I thought it was a worthy project. I’ve always loved antiques in general, and
enjoy quality absinthe. This book grew naturally out of that combination.

The following pages feature an array of antiques that were commonly employed in the
serving and preparing of absinthe in its heyday, and include brief descriptions of their use.
For this reason, this book also serves as a way of demonstrating absinthe’s basics, its role in
the culture of the era, and the diversity of those who enjoyed drinking it. You may notice that
some pieces show signs of use, while others look nearly new. I feel it is simply not right to
modify antiques; every scuff, dent, scratch and loss of plating attests to an item’s history,
and is an homage to those who used and enjoyed it.

My goal is to share the beauty of these pieces, and encourage others to obtain their own
absinthe antiques for the fun and romance of it. Even if you own only one glass and spoon,
it truly does make a difference when preparing absinthe with antique gear! I’ve enjoyed
searching for these survivors of time, and feel they deserve to be given a second life.
Many of these antiques are used regularly, as they should be.

Though touched upon in places, I’ve opted not to delve deeply into the specifics and history
of absinthe itself. For those interested in learning more about absinthe, several resources are
mentioned at the end of this book. Please enjoy your journey through these pages! Together,
you and I can bring this era back to life, even if only for a short time, through these wonderful
and magical antiques.

S.B. MacDonald